Buzzing with action
Long infamous for being home to the Arignar Anna Zoological Park or the Vandalur Zoo, Vandalur had nothing else to its credit. Today, the tables have turned and how. The proposed monorail project has put Vandalur back into action and investors are eyeing this area with a renewed vigour. Moreover, the immediate connectivity to ORR (Outer Ring Road) and GST Road (Grand Southern Trunk Road) have made Vandalur the hottest new realty destination.

What’s more, the Rs. 27-crore Vandalur-Walajabad flyover, spanning a distance of 1.48-kms has gone on to cement Vandalur’s position as a top real estate haven.Location Benefits
Positioned in the south-western part of Chennai city, Vandalur is easily accessible via the rail or road network. It is a mere 5 kms from Tambaram, Urapakkam, Perungalathur, Mudichur and Padappai. No other suburb in Chennai affords quick accessibility like Vandalur does; in fact it is a very significant station, with the Vandalur railway station connecting to the Chennai Suburban railway line, Egmore and Tambaram (one of the most important railway terminus’ in Chennai)

Frequent direct buses operate to and from Poonamallee, T. Nagar, Tambaram, Broadway, Mandaiveli and take under its ambit the Vandalur bus stop as well. This provides a convenient mode of daily travel for many residents living here.

Furthermore, investors are upbeat about the proposed monorail project that will connect Vandalur to Chennai in a two-pronged approach. The route will connect Poonamallee in the northwest of Chennai and Vandalur in the far south through two corridors that will meet near the Kathipara intersection.
The government is soon expected to announce the alignment for the second corridor between Vandalur and Kathipara, via Perungalathur, Irumbuliyur, Tambaram East, Sembakkam, Medavakkam and Velachery. In effect the first will connect Vandalur to Puzhal and the other will connect Vandalur to Velachery.

Vandalur-Walajabad flyover
The Rs. 27-crore Vandalur-Walajabad flyover, spanning a distance of 1.48-kms was constructed in order to replace the level crossing near the Vandalur railway station. It was an ambitious project that was successfully implemented by the state government. Built at a cost of Rs. 22 crore, the railways jointly allotted Rs. 5 crore towards the construction. The flyover connects the east and west side of the Vandalur railway station.

Arignar Anna Zoological Park
The Arignar Anna Zoological Park or Vandalur zoo is a zoological garden home to over 170 species of mammals, birds and reptiles. It is credited with being the first public zoo in India and even today continues to attract tourists from all over the country.

Appreciating the appreciation
To fully understand the implications of the gargantuan development and its effects on real estate profitability, one must get a feel of the connectivity that defines Vandalur.

The Vandalur-Kelambakkam, 18 km stretch of road starting from the IT corridor in Kelambakkam to the Grand Southern Trunk (GST) road junction connects Vandalur to the GST and Old Mamallapuram road (OMR). This stretch connects it to the various areas inside and outside the city. The Vandalur-Kelambakkam stretch of road is approximately 24 kms away from the airport, 44 kms away from Chennai Egmore station and 46 kms from Chennai Central. The Vandalur LRT station will be 13 kms away from the road.

Further, the ORR connects Vandalur in NH-45 (GST) placed in the South-Western edge and close to the Ennore Port and other industrial developments in the Northern areas. The road will run via Nazarathpet on NH-4 (Bangalore Highway), Nemellichery on NH-205 (Chennai-Tirupati-Anantpur Highway) and Padayanallur on NH-5 (Chennai-Calcutta). The Vandalur to Nemillichery (on Chennai-Tiruttani highway) stretch comprising of 29.65 km is being implemented as Phase-1 of development. The ORR (Vandalur – Minjur) is an epicentre for all major transportation networks and it is being developed along the border of Chennai Metropolitan Area by the CMDA. There are expectations that a proposed satellite corridor will be developed along the Outer Ring Road (ORR) for commercial development.

The government has also proposed to open a 65-acre terminus between GST road and ORR (Outer Ring Road) in Vandalur. It is estimated to be twice the size of the CMBT (Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus). It aims to reduce traffic congestion in the Koyambedu facility and effectively manage the south bound long distance buses.

This rapid road progress will ease travel for the thousands of daily commuters working in the IT/ manufacturing industries in and around OMR, Oragadam, Perungalathur, Guduvancherry and Tambaram and who pass through the IT corridor everyday.

Synopsis
The proposed overhaul of infrastructure and transportation may seem like it is a work in progress and that there are no immediate gains to be made. Market pundits believe that per sq. ft. rates here are very reasonably priced and one can get a 2 BHK flat of size 900 – 1100 sq. ft. within a typical price range of Rs.3, 500/- to Rs. 7,000/- per sq.ft. Reasonable, isn’t it? Besides, it is usually seen that the price trend tends to appreciate steadily in this suburb, rather than experiencing heavy fluctuations like other areas.

With all this heavy duty development in process, the future for Vandalur real estate definitely looks bright and lucrative.

Selaiyur is a suburb located in close proximity to Tambaram, a booming in Chennai. Positioned on the Tambaram – Velachery Road, Selaiyur has developed mainly because of its closeness to Tambaram. However, long before this place was known for its IT industries or its popular mix of cosmopolitan residents, Selaiyur had found its mention in history. In fact, today there still stands a testimony to its historical roots- The Selaiyur Temple Tank.

As per records, the tank belonged to the nearby Perumal temple and was constructed some 400 years ago by Chola king Thribhuvana Chakravarthy Vijaykanda Gopalan. Today, this tank is appreciated for its heritage and is a popular spot frequented by families and historians alike.

A fertile land that is reaping profits

Positioned at the South West of Chennai, Selaiyur is in close proximity to the IT corridors in the OMR, where many large MNC offices are located. The Tambaram / Camp Road as well as the other neighbouring towns such as Madambakkam, Rajakilpakkam, Sembakkam, Chitlapakkam and Medavakkam are nearby. The chief leverage of this locality is that any which way you travel, you are not too far from significant locations. Nonetheless, the growth and development of Selaiyur can be credited solely to the massive expansion of Tambaram. One can find that the success of real estate in Tambaram has created a favourable demand for residential apartments in Selaiyur too.

Today, Selaiyur is up-and-coming and one can find the area dotted with an estimated 40 new under-construction projects and ready possession residential apartments that serve every budget. There has been a healthy absorption of the apartments as builders have kept the prices reasonable and within the reach of all. The aim is to fulfil the requirement for inexpensive housing by targeting migrants belonging to the IT and manufacturing industry.

Reports suggest that Selaiyur property has seen a capital appreciation ofnearly 10% in the last one year alone. Rental values recorded a staggering 23% increment quarter on quarter. As of now, the property rates range from Rs. 4, 200 – 4, 400/- per sq ft and a 2BHK, 800 sq. ft. flat would cost an average of 32.31 lacs. The rental and price appreciation has been especially lucrative in the last year and has attracted many investments in real estate in Selaiyur.

Superb Connectivity and Social infrastructure

Selaiyur has a lush, green environment untouched by rampant urbanisation, besides a well-organised infrastructure set-up. All important banks such as SBI, HDFC and AXIS are located at Camp Road- an important junction here. There is an air force station in the vicinity and the neighbourhood is peaceful and comprises of a healthy mix of people hailing from the northern, western and southern states of India. This is perhaps the reason many retired air force families have chosen to make Selaiyur their home.

The area is well connected via the MTC, besides the Tambaram railway station and bus terminus are merely 5 kms away, the Chennai International Airport at Meenambakkam is roughly about 3 kms from Selaiyur. However, the popular transportation mediums are the frequent buses and share-autos. One can travel easily to central landmarks such as GST Road, OMR road, Koyambedu, Anna Nagar and Ambattur.

There are many temples such as Abhirami udanurai Amirthakadeswarar temple, Arulmigu Adhi Kesava Perumal temple and the Om Sri Skandasramam temple. A host of renowned educational institutions such as Bharath University, Corley Higher Secondary School, Christ King Girls Higher Secondary School, Alwin Memorial Public School, Sri Sankara Vidyalaya Matriculation Higher Secondary School and Zion Matriculation School are close by.

As per reports, there is rising FDI in the MNC industries along this stretch of the road. The real estate sector will see many NRI collaborations and the emergence of state-of-the-art, luxurious residential projects in Selaiyur. Besides, the prospective development plan for this locality predicts that Selaiyur will soon be within proposed Corporation of Tambaram, with proposed Palar water supply and drainage connection by Tambaram Municipality. The plans for a proposed new bus terminus at Tambaram and the upcoming 150 ft. perungalathur bypass road can only be termed as icings on the cake.